iCount Down
by Scrollwork
Summary: There were many changes in the last year. As the clock counts down to midnight, Sam puts herself out there, and changes things with Freddie. One-shot.
1. Chapter 1

Thanks: I would like to thank KeyLimePie14 and NeoNails for being my Betas.

A/N: Hello, I wrote this for New Years. It ended up taking a while longer than I had expected. I wrote a companion piece for this called, iChristmas Eve. It can be read as a connected story, separate, or not at all, depending on your preference. It is not needed to understand this piece.

This is a one-shot that I split into two, in order to provide easier reading. Hopefully, you will read it, and review. I hope that you enjoy this, and that you'll read more of my work in the future.

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iCount Down-

She awoke to the sound of a body falling onto the floor. Hers, actually. When she realised that she was the one on the floor, she wondered why she hadn't felt it. Getting herself up, she stretched her arms over her head. The girl let out a loud yawn, then went to go brush her teeth.

She glanced up in the mirror, with toothpaste foamed up in her mouth, and began to growl. Smiling in the mirror at the thought of herself being a rabid dog, she quickly spit and rinsed out her mouth. Confronted with her tousled excuse for hair, she shook her head and grabbed a brush. As she was straining to get the knots out, she grumbled that it was not worth it. She had to do it, though. She had a reputation to maintain, and she had to look good doing it.

Once she had finished untangling her locks, she put the brush away, and began to walk to the kitchen. She let loose another large yawn, thinking that she might go back to sleep after she had had some breakfast. In the kitchen, she looked through the refrigerator and the cupboards to no avail. It seemed as if there were no food whatsoever to eat in the kitchen. Feeling a little disgruntled, she remembered there being food in her room that she could snack on.

She lazily walked back to her room, still in half a daze, and flopped onto her bed. Snacks all forgotten, she merely curled up in her sheets and dozed off once again. As she drifted off once more, she could not help but feel that she was forgetting something.

...

The sound of the lift was soothing as she travelled up to the eighth floor. The doors opened to reveal the apartment. Walking into the living room, she was surprised to see that the television set was on. The Shelby Marx fight was about to begin. Hearing a cupboard shut in the kitchen, she went to investigate. She saw a young man, and short brown hair. He stepped out with a bowl of popcorn.

"Hey, what's up?"

"What are you doing here?" She went over and snatched the bowl from him.

"I came to watch the fight."

"Your T.V. broken?" She sat down on the couch, and started munching on the popcorn.

"No, my mother would never allow me to watch MMA fights, you know that." He sat down next to her. "What are you doing here?"

"My mom forgot to pay the cable bill, so no ordering fights." She slapped his hand when he went for the popcorn. They began to watch the fight; she started to get wound up with all the action. She began to jump up and down, throwing kicks and punches into the air. He told her several times to sit back down, but she ignored his requests. She danced in front of him, swinging her hips from side to side. She felt herself being grabbed from behind, and pulled back to the couch. "Let go of me." She struggled in his grasp.

"No, I want to see the fight, too." He held her steady on the couch, his arms restraining her movement. She had never realised that he had grown so strong before. His arms were holding her tightly, and she did not mind. After a while, she had stopped with her struggles. They continued to watch the match, all the while, he never let go of her. She could feel his breath on the side of her neck. Oddly, she felt comfortable in his lap. That did not keep her from thinking about what was in that lap, what she was sitting on. She wiggled on top of him a bit. His grip tightened. Her heart beat just a little faster than usual, but she paid it no mind.

She reached out for the bowl, but her hand had limited range. "At least, let me have some popcorn."

"No." His arms never loosened. She reached and struggled, fingertips catching the edge of the bowl. He picked up the bowl, moving it further away.

"Not fair."

His arm wrapped around again, pulling her to his chest. She let out a little whine. Then, she felt his heart beating faster through her back. He laid his chin on her shoulder, their faces touching slightly. She had forgotten all about the food. She could smell him, and she licked her lips. There was something new to whet her appetite.

"Man, Shelby Marx is so hot."

"What is with you and brunettes?" Filled with a sense of annoyance, she tried to turn to look at him, but he held her still.

He whispered into her ear, "Hey, sometimes blondes are good, too." Her breath hitched at the comment. "Even temperamental ones."

She put an end to things by stomping on his foot. He released her with a yelp of pain. She gave him one last look, and rushed out of the apartment.

...

A ringing in the background faded in and out. She wondered where it was coming from. The sound seemed muffled, and she reached out from under the blanket to find a big, fluffy object on top of her head. That was probably why she could not hear anything. Leaving the pillow on her head, she fumbled around to feel for whatever was making that noise. The ringing kept going and going, then stopped. She dropped her hand off the side of the bed. The ringing started up, again.

Reaching over to her night table, she clumsily knocked things to the floor. Grabbing something substantial, she tossed it against the wall. She heard a large crash, with the sound of something broken hitting the floor. Wait, her alarm clock played the radio, it didn't ring. She reached out again and grasped something small, and feeling like plastic. That was where the annoying ring was coming from. She flipped it open and brought it under the cushion with her.

"Mmm, hello?"

"Sam! Sam, where are you?"

"Freddie?"

"No Sam. It's not Freddie, it's Carly. Wait, since when do you call him by his real name?"

"I didn't… no. What?"

She could hear a sigh on the other end. "Sam, will you please just wake up?"

"But Carls, it's break. That means no waking. Except for ham. Mmm, ham."

"No ham, Sam!"

"Ha! That rhymed."

"Sam, look. You need to wake up."

"I shall awaken for no one. Not even you, Carly. Still love you, though."

Another sigh on the line, that time longer. "Love you too, Sam." She could practically hear the eye rolling in Carly's voice. "Look, you just need to get up."

"For what?" she yawned, directly into the mouthpiece. Although, it sounded more like 'fow wa'.

Luckily, Carly had learnt to be patient with her when she was still groggy from being woken up. "For the _party_."

She popped up in her bed. "Did you say party?"

"Yes, Sam. Spencer has that showing tonight at that New Years Eve gala. Remember?"

Spencer had been chosen to display some of his works for some big time business people. Apparently, they wanted to do it during some large gala that they were holding for New Years. It was in some very nice hotel, on what she surmised was the hundredth floor. They we all invited, of course. Spencer had just been happy that he might be able to get some attention from the art community. He had heard that some major players would be there as well. She, on the other hand, was excited for various other reasons. None of them had to do with a certain Freddork, of course, because that would be ridiculous. _And stupid,_ she thought.

"So, a party. That means there'll be lots of food, right?" Her eyes brightened, and a grin appeared on her face.

"There will be lots of food. Just, don't eat it all. Other people are going to be there, too."

She stretched her arm up in the air, and rocked her head to and fro in order to get the kinks out. Giving her friend a large yawn, she continued the conversation. "Don't worry. I'll leave them a scrap or two. If they're good. Maybe not. Nah."

"Honestly, Sam, don't you think of anything else, other than food?"

"Of course, I do! I think of boys, too!" She flopped backwards onto the mattress.

"Any particular boy in mind?" Curiosity reigned in her tone of voice.

"No," She turned over onto her stomach, glancing at a framed picture of three children. It was taken some time ago, when they were younger. Those children had grown up some, and they had changed. Things had changed. Two girls and a boy, two brunettes and a blond, two friends and a co-worker. What have you, the three of them were together. Hopefully, they always would be. She looked at the boy in the picture. _No matter what happens._ "not really. Wouldn't mind a guy that's funny, or smart. You know what? Forget all that. I want a guy that can just stand there and look pretty, wouldn't want him to get annoying, so no talking, either."

"Wow, you have high standards, don't you?"

"Hey, as long as he's not a dork." Reaching between the mattress and the box springs, she pulled out a bag of jerky leftover from Christmas. She had got a bunch of it for a present. Sticking some in her mouth, she began to chew it. "Anyway, what's the plan?"

"Well, you need something to wear, so we have to get that out of the way."

Sam groaned into the receiver. Dress shopping, wonderful. "When do you want to do it?"

"I was thinking we would need a couple hours, knowing you, and we need time to get ready, so I had thought maybe around two."

"Oh, yeah? What time is it, now?" She glanced over to her nightstand, at her clock. It had mysteriously vanished. Oh, wait. Right.

"It's three O'clock."

"Really?" She was surprised. Well, not really.

"I was trying to call you for the last hour."

"Sorry, Carls."

"Would you please just get over here as soon as you can?"

"Anything for you, Carly."

"Thanks, I'll see you then."

Hanging up, she threw her legs over the edge of the bed and stretched herself out. She shuffled over to the picture and picked it up. Staring at the young boy in the photo, she thought of how much of a dork he looked like. His silly brown hair, and his chocolaty brown eyes. She did love chocolate, though. She ran a finger down the side of his image, muttering, "What am I going to do with you?" Sighing, she combed her fingers through her hair. They got caught on some knots. She began to grumble.

She knew that she needed a dress for the party, and there was no way Carly was going to let her wear something old. No, she needed something new to wear. She was dreading having the adventure to the dress shop, all the way up the building to the eighth floor. She had decided to take the stairs, to further delay the trip, even if she were feeling lazy.

She was going to have to do it eventually, so might as well get it over with. She tried the door to Carly's apartment, but to no avail. She knocked, with no answer, and then knocked again. Knocking louder, the blond gave up and searched her pockets for something with which to pick the lock. Hearing a door opening from behind, followed by someone stepping out, she turned and delivered a punch. It was stopped by a hand grabbing her wrist. He smiled, a glint in his brown eyes.

"Freddork, what have I told you about sneaking up on me?"

"Hey, I learned my lesson. I even caught your hand, this time." He stepped up closer to her, having never let go of her wrist. "Impressed?"

She instinctively felt the need to get away from him. Not because she wanted to be far away from him, but because she wanted to be closer to him. Her breathing became shallow, she hoped that he could not feel her pulse quickening through his grasp. The door behind her opened and she twirled around, twisting her arm out of his grip. Carly smiled at the two of them.

"Hey guys." She directed a big smile at Freddie. "Freddie, what are you doing out here?"

"Oh, I just heard Sam here making a racket, so I came out to shut her up." Sam elbowed him in the stomach.

"Sam, you were knocking?"

"Yeah, didn't you hear me?"

"No, I was upstairs in the studio on the phone. I'm sorry." Carly gave her an apologetic look. "Anyway, I can't take you dress shopping for the party. Spencer called; he needs my help setting up his sculptures at the exhibit. Sorry."

"Aw, shucks, I guess that I just have to wear something else to the party, then. Laters." She started to walk away.

Carly caught her. "Oh, no, you don't. You're going to get a new dress." She spun Sam around. "I'm not going to have you show up in old ripped jeans and a hoodie that hasn't been washed in months."

"Hey, it's my favourite hoodie," she retorted.

"I know, it was from when we went to see Cuttlefish."

"Not just Cuttlefish. Cuttlefish: The Musical." She could feel Freddie smirking behind her.

"I know, you got it signed by the band. You got hugs from them, too, that's why you love it so much. That's also why you've never washed it."

"We went through a lot of trouble to meet them. I just don't want to wash the awesomeness that is Cuttlefish off of it."

Freddie interrupted. "Correction. _I_ went through a lot of trouble for _you two_ to meet them."

"Psh. All you had to do was distract the security guy."

"Yeah, while you two snuck backstage. And I didn't just distract the guy, I had to _seduce_ him." He walked over so that they were all facing one another.

"Well, at least you look pretty in a dress," she said.

"It's true, you do." Her brunette counterpart nodded in agreement.

"Hey, I am not here to help fulfil your weird fantasies, you two." He crossed his arms. "Besides, you two still owe me for that."

Carly laughed. "It was one of your better plans, Sam."

"Indeed, it was, Carls."

"You guys just wanted to see me in a dress."

"You probably liked wearing it, anyway." Sam shrugged off his accusation. "Just like how I like wearing my Cuttlefish hoodie."

"Just because all the guys in the band hugged you, right?"

"No," She poked him in the chest with her index finger. "it's because you… you…" She did not want to bring up what had happened between them the night of the event, but she could not really think of an alternative thing to say.

"He what, Sam?" Carly asked, inquisitively.

They both turned to her, faces slightly tinged red. "He was a total dork that we got to dress up in a stupid costume. Just like on clown day. That's all." It was the best Sam could come up with.

"Okay…" Carly did not seem very convinced.

"Anyway, how can I get a new dress if you're going to be with Spence?" She tried to change the subject, with her obvious attempt at subtlety.

Carly nodded her head toward the tall brunette. Sam looked next to her and realised what she meant.

"No way." She shook her head. "Look, if I have to have a dress, then we can go when you get back."

"We can't. There's not enough time. First, you have to pick out a dress, which will take who knows how long. Then, when I get back, we have to get ready for the party. Then, we have to get over there by the time it starts."

She shrugged. "Can't we just get there fashionably late?"

"No, they're going to talk about Spencer and his art at the beginning. We need to be there on time. Sorry, Sam, but you'll have to go with Freddie."

"Aw, man. The afternoon with the nub?" Her shoulders did not slouch as she had expected, but actually perked up. It felt odd to her.

"As much as I hate the idea of leaving you two alone together, we have no choice." Carly had a strange, worried look in her eyes. "I have to get going. I'll see you guys, later."

"Don't worry Carly, we won't kill each other," Freddie reassured her.

She waved to them in response, with a half-hearted smile. Before the door was fully closed, Sam could have sworn she heard something along the lines of 'That's not what I'm worried about' coming from her best friend. She turned to Freddie; his face looked as though he might have heard it as well. After a short moment of awkwardness, they both blurted out that they should get going. The two of them took the main elevator down to the lobby, where she spotted the doorman, Lewbert, combing the hair on his wart. She felt nauseated at the sight of it.

He began yelling at them for being in his precious lobby. She just ignored him. Freddie got to the front door and held it open for her. What a nub. How lame could you get, right? He waited patiently as she just stared at him, hands on her hips. Shaking her head, she took him up on his offer, but not without flicking him in the forehead as she walked out of Bushwell Plaza. He followed, right behind her. The door opened up once more; she walked back in and threw a snowball at Lewbert, who had gone back to combing his wart hairs again. The man was pelted directly in the face, and flew backwards off of his seat. Turning around, she contently exited the building.

At first, they had planned on going to the dress stores at the local mall. Regretfully, they recalled that she had been banned from the shopping mall for a month, due to an incident with the mall Santa. Fortunately, there was a small dress shop practically across the street. In fact, it seemed as though _everything_ were 'across the street' from Bushwell Plaza. Opening the front door, they heard the tell-tale ring that signified their entrance, along with what would be the appearance of a salesclerk to assist them. When no one showed, they ventured further into the store.

There was a sense of uneasiness for her in the eerie quiet of the store. When they were startled by a voice greeting them, she heard a high-pitched squeal. Spinning around, she noticed a young lady standing before her, smiling sweetly. She also noticed a Freddie hiding behind her, hands gripping her shoulders. Apparently, even though his voice had got lower, he was still capable of octaves high above even what she could achieve. She turned, cuffing him in the arm, and told him to grow 'a pair'.

Facing the shop clerk once again, she greeted her. The older woman, who they learned was the owner, asked them if they were in need of assistance. She replied that they were just going to browse the dresses for a while. The storeowner let them know that they were free to look around, that the dressing rooms were in the back of the store, and that she would be over by the counter if they needed her. With that, the owner silently stepped away from the pair, to leave them to their business.

The shop itself was quite nice and modern, with a variety of dresses to choose from. There were racks upon racks of dresses. Old, new, major labels, unknowns. She rifled through them all. She looked for an hour, picking dresses and shoving them into Freddie's hands. If she were going to have to wear a dress, then she would have to find the right one. There was no way that she was going to look the part of the fool. Once his hands were full, she began to drape them on his head. He was not enjoying that part of the experience, if his mumblings were of any indication. That did not stop her, though. She continued until there was no sign of the boy left.

When she was done picking out the dresses she wanted to try on, she signalled him with a "Come on, Fredwart."

Said pile of clothes accompanied her towards the rear of the store. As they passed the counter, the shopkeeper mentioned that the dressing rooms were for one person at a time. Apparently, no sharing was allowed. She blushed at the accusation. She would never want to be stuck in a small, confined space with the dork; all close, and pressed together. _The dorkiness might rub off on me._ She was only fooling herself, thinking that way.

Once she entered the changing room, she looked around. There were hooks, a small seat, and a full length mirror. It was nice, and the walls were well decorated. It was quaint, like the rest of the store. The door clicking shut behind her, she switched the lock over, and commanded her co-worker on the other side to hand her the first of many garments for her to try out. She went through quite a deal of dresses in her effort to find one that Carly would approve of.

She definitely was not a fashion expert, especially when it came to things formal. She knew, though, that this really was a special event. Not only was it the beginning of the New Year, but it was a big deal for Spencer. There was also the brown-haired camera boy that she in no way wanted the attention of. At least, if anyone asked, that was what she would say. She was not going to disappoint. She was going to impress. She put on dresses, checked herself in the mirror, and narrowed down her choices.

Freddie, on the other hand, just sat in the waiting area. She heard him call to her, but when she did not respond, he continued anyway. She turned to check how the dress looked from behind, while he complained about how he did not know why he was there. He said he felt useless just sitting there. She rolled her eyes as she answered back that he was 'always useless', and that he should have been glad he had some physical interaction with a human being instead of action figures. He responded by saying that they were Galaxy Wars collectible statuettes, and that he did not think that she counted as a human being. With that, she stormed out of the dressing room and pushed him off of his seat.

Lying on the floor, he propped himself up on his elbows. She stared down at him and asked him what he thought about the dress. After all, he wanted to do something. He plainly said that it was 'okay', as he got up and plopped himself down on his seat, again. Letting out a huff, she went back into the changing room and demanded another dress. She continued to try on dresses, while letting him give an opinion on the ones she liked.

Most of the time, though, he simply said that they were 'okay'. She was starting to hate that word. Together, they went through at least thirty dresses, if she counted correctly. Some of them were too long, too frilly, too plain, too informal, too formal. There was one that she thought was not purple enough, and then one that was too purple, she then decided that she did not want one that was purple at all. She put one on, a knee length piece with thin string straps, which she decided to display to Freddie.

"What do you think?"

"It's okay."

"Seriously, Freddork. What do you think?" She fiddled with the straps. "I don't know about these straps, they're too thin, I think."

"Too thin?"

"Yeah, what if they break?"

He smirked. "Why would they break? It's not like they'll snap under the strain, or anything."

Her eyes widened. "Dork, are you saying that I don't have a chest?" She began to hit him.

Putting his arms up in defence, he attempted to explain himself. "No, I was just saying that they aren't big enough to where you'd have to worry about those straps breaking! That's all!"

Not the correct thing to say.

"Always about boobs with guys, isn't it?" she yelled, as she continued to beat him.

Standing up, he grabbed her wrists. "Sam, stop it. I'm sorry, that's not what I meant at all. Your breasts are perfect." They both paused at the statement. He shook his head. "That, that came out wrong. Look, the dress looks great on you. They all do. Just… pick out something that you like, that's what's important." He gently brought her arms down and released them. "If you don't like the dress, then you can get something else."

She looked down at the floor. _Perfect_. She turned and entered the booth once again. Leaning against the door, she took a glance at the ceiling. She hoped that he did not see her blush. It was the only time that she would ever actually run from him. Usually _she_ would chase _him_. Really, she had been chasing him for quite a while. Taking off the dress, she threw it over the door. A muffled yell from Freddie meant it hit his head, precisely where she was aiming.

She, for some reason, actually began to become excited about wearing a dress that night. They were going through the last of the dresses, but she did not find one that she liked. She started to get angry that she couldn't find the right dress. Then, he handed her a small, silvery dress, she liked the fact that it had wide straps, and she tried it on. Looking at herself in the mirror, she thought it a very striking look. It was slightly low cut, showing off an amount of her cleavage. Which she _did_ have, by the way. It was also quite short, to say the least. An impressive amount of leg was showing, unnerving her a bit. It was, quite possibly, a little too revealing.

...

It was your typically bright and sunny day when they had decided to go to the beach. She got out of the car first, practically leaping from the parking area. With the sand nice and golden, she took off her shoes and wiggled her toes in it. She could not help herself. The three of them ran out towards the shore. They eventually found a spot for all their belongings. Having spread out the beach towels, they began to toss off their street clothes for their beachwear.

Carly started first, shedding her top and jeans to reveal a cute little bikini. She was the girl next door, and she looked like a model. It was just like Carly to find something that made her look nice and sweet, but still could grab a guy's attention. She did, too. The young boys in the vicinity turned their heads, and one boy in particular seemed to be admiring her. Freddie looked at her with loving eyes, and the smile that he reserved only for her. She always did have his attention, no matter what.

Sam started feeling inadequate. Carly looked so cute and perfect in her suit, while she was bulky and oddly shaped. Maybe she was just getting fat, not curvier, like Carly was. She should have to cut down on the Fatcakes. Snapping awake, Freddie began to get changed as well. When he took off his shirt, she could see that he was not the little whelp he used to be. He had muscles. Though she hated to admit it, they were quite nice. He had obviously been working out, but for whom? Who was he trying to impress? _Carly, probably._ Now she was unsure about her own choice of swimsuit. It now seemed so unlike her, just, not her style. Maybe, she should have stuck with an old one-piece or something. Not… a bikini. Even worse, it was a tiny, _string_ bikini. Whatever it was that had possessed her to decide on the most risqué thing she owned, was beyond her.

She did not even know why she had bought it in the first place. It wasn't as if she were trying to impress anyone, right? Carly had knelt down to place her things in her bag, turning away from them. She decided that she really had no choice. She would just have to do it as quickly and nonchalantly as possible. Pulling her clothes off, she dropped them by her towel. She put her arms above her head and stretched her body. Opening her eyes, she realised that they were both staring at her. Freddie, especially, seemed to have had his interest piqued. Her heart beat faster in response to his gaze, and she greatly wanted to be in the water, right away.

"Okay, let's get going!" Grabbing her shoulder and rotating it, she called to the other two. "What are you guys staring at? Let's go!"

Turning, so Freddie could not see her cheeks redden, she ran ahead of them. She ran into the water as fast as she could, hoping that the warmth in her cheeks would die down. Feeling a hand grabbing onto her shoulder from behind, she spun around and threw a punch. Hitting something hard, she could hear a large splash followed by a disgruntled yell.

"What are you doing, Puckett?" Freddie sputtered. "That really hurt!"

"Well, you shouldn't have attacked me if you didn't want me to go all ninja on you!" Her fists planted on her hips.

"You didn't go all ninja on me! You just punched me in the chest!"

"Ninja punched you in the chest, that is." She couldn't help but begin thinking about how hard his chest had seemed. His body in general had got hard. Hard. She shook her head; she would not let her mind go there.

"I was just trying to catch up to you." He stood up in the water.

"Well, see if you can catch up to me, now." She gave him a hard shove and ran to deeper waters. Turning around, she saw him once again sputtering and splashing. "You are going to have to do better than that, Fredward!"

He eventually got up and charged at her. When he got near enough to reach out, she dunked his head down into the depths. He popped up, gasping for air. They played around for a while, dunking the other and running away. He would get up close and knock her off balance into the water. In retaliation, she would grab his ankle and pull, causing him to yell that she wasn't playing fair and what she was doing was dangerous. Empty complaints of a losing dorkwad, she happily ignored. She was feeling happier than she had in a while, but she did not know why.

It was quite possible that there was something about Freddie that made her feel good. _That's a stupid idea._ Prior to that thought even being finished, she realised that she had latched onto the muscled back of a certain Freddork. Her arms around his neck, she felt less than secure hanging there. The next thing she knew, she had wrapped her legs around his waist. She had him between her legs. Their bodies pushing together. Her… breasts pressed up against his back. Sure, they weren't that big, nor in her mind the nicest, not as nice as Carly's, but they were hers. They were _hers_, and they were touching _him_.

She did not notice whether he stiffened at the touch or not, but she did notice the heating up of her own cheeks once again. He was saying something, she was sure of that, but for some odd reason she was unable to hear anything. She was unaware that while resting on his broad shoulders, she had begun to nuzzle his neck. There was no way he wouldn't notice that, right? Things were going too far, yet she kept pushing, encouraged by some force unknown to her.

Her arms and legs tightened their hold on him. Swaying slightly, and taking a couple of steps, he carried her for a bit. He flung her from him and she could feel herself falling, falling into the water. She opened her eyes, floating there, to see Freddie standing over her. Droplets of water were rolling down his front. It was a view that she did not really mind. As she lazily followed the droplets downward, she considered pulling down his swimming trunks. Not that she wanted to see anything. For the embarrassment and comedic effect, of course. That was it, really, it was. She was content with lazing there, when she saw Freddie jump and spin.

"Carly! You scared me!" She could not see the look on his face, but she was sure he was giving Carly the special smile that was reserved just for her. "Where have you been, anyway?"

"Oh, just fending off an army of boys asking me to go out with them."

Sam could hear a snort come from him. "That doesn't surprise me at all." He got splashed in the face for saying that. "Hey! You want a water fight? Because, I'll give you one."

She looked over to see Carly, hands on her hips. "I can't let Sam have you all to herself, now, can I?" She reached down into the water and splashed him once again.

Sam watched as he started after her. She carefully began to back up. He started throwing water at her, and she ran away with a shriek. He chased after her, trying to get her as wet as possible, then she would try and get him drenched. Sam could hear the yelling and taunting that occurred between the two as they enjoyed themselves, without her. She sat up, deciding that she might as well give them their space, and waded back to shore. She sat down on her beach blanket and curled up, her chin resting on her knees. She could still see them, running around, laughing, having fun.

He caught up to Carly, grabbing her from behind. He was holding her tightly, and she squirmed playfully, seeming to enjoy the moment. She was letting out one of her trademark giggles; he probably just liked holding her. He picked her up bridal style, and started carrying her around. Sam could not help but feel a little jealous of that. Carly threw her arms around his neck, hanging on as tightly as she could. Carly was so light, and she wasn't. No wonder the dork had such a hard time lugging her around, no wonder he tossed her off. _I'm way too heavy._

She heard a voice next to her. "What's up?"

She turned to see a tall boy, kind of cute, but nothing special in her eyes. She went back to looking at her two best friends. "Yo."

"What're you doing just sitting here? You know, we could—"

"Not interested. Go away, loser."

"Hey, I was just—"

"Leave now, nub."

The rejected boy backed off. "With something like that on, I thought you'd be up for some fun. Whatever."

She looked down at the sand, dejected, annoyed, and jealous. She had a feeling she might know why. Feeling someone walk up and sit down on the blanket next to her, she prepared to chase off another guy that thought he could hit on her because of what she was wearing.

"That's Freddork's towel, go away."

"But, I am Freddork."

She looked over to see his gorgeous smile. Stupid. It was a stupid smile. "Oh, it's you, nub." She punched him hard in the shoulder. "What do you want? Aren't you supposed to be out there with Carls?"

Rubbing his shoulder, a worried expression overtook his features. "I just wanted to make sure you were all right. Why weren't you out there with us?"

_ Because I just wanted to give you and the love of your life some alone time, that's all._ She looked back down at her toes, sand sifted between them. "Nothing, just got tired of the water. Thought I'd go and dry off."

"Well you did a horrid job. You're still all wet." He took a towel from his bag and draped it around her shoulders. She looked up at him, and he once again smiled. She could see in his eyes that he really cared about her. "Now, really, what's the matter?"

"Nothing, like I said." She tucked a long blond lock behind her ear.

"You can always tell me if there is."

"I know, dork."

She felt his arm reach around and pull her towards him. "With you and Carly, I'll always be there for the both of you."

Her head found its way to his shoulder, and she sighed. "I know."

Carly came running up to them, asking if anything was wrong. She must have been acting a little too strange, for Carly to get worried. They both denied that anything was wrong at all. In fact, everything was completely all right. Carly had a look on her face that denoted disbelief, but she seemed to give up. They eventually decided that they had had enough of the beach, and packed their things. Carly never brought it up again, even with her notion of having no secrets between them. Sam was glad about that, even though nothing really was said between her and Freddie in the first place. Although, there could have been.


	2. Chapter 2

"Well, aren't you going to show it to me?"

She turned around, checking herself in the mirror. It looked fairly nice from behind, at least. She did not feel comfortable having him see her in it, though. "Geez, loser, why did you give me this dress? It's way too short."

"Hey, it was on the pile."

"You must have slipped it in there!"

"What? Why would I do that?"

"Because, you wanted to see me in a tiny dress, you pervert!" She continued to look in the mirror. It stopped fairly above the knee, but it was not really that bad. That did not stop her from being self conscious, still.

"Whatever, Sam. The less I see of you, the better. Besides, you're probably just overreacting."

Maybe, she was overreacting. Maybe, the dress wasn't as revealing as she thought. Maybe, she was just uncomfortable with how good it actually looked on her. Maybe, she had subconsciously picked it out to try on because she thought it just might have been the thing to grab Freddie's attention. _Nah_.

She quickly stripped the dress off, hanging it on the peg jutting out from the wall. She did not want it wrinkled, unlike the other dresses that lay in a pile outside the booth, for some odd reason. She continued trying on dresses until she had tried them all. Putting her clothes back on, she exited the dressing room. She picked out one of the dresses she preferred. It was dark, unassuming, and conservative. He got up, stretching, and complaining that he had been sitting for much too long.

They walked over to the counter, where the owner smiled at them, most likely because they had finally made a choice. She commented that she thought they might have needed help, but she did not want to get in the middle of their lover's quarrels. Sam blushed at the idea. Placing the dress on the counter, she realised that she never brought any money with her. The woman told them the price, and as the blond reached for the dress to go put it back, she heard the cash register open. It closed back up, and the owner zipped the dress up in a garment bag, handing it to Freddie. The owner bid them a good evening, and with a prompting of 'come on', she followed him out. It was only a few minutes later, as they walked along the way, that she finally realised.

"You paid for the dress?" She looked up at him.

Not turning to her, he kept his pace. "Of course, I did. You didn't have any money, right? You never have money."

"Well, you didn't have to pay for me." She watched as his breath came out in wisps.

"I've been paying for you for years. Why stop now?" He let loose a smile, one of fondness. "Although, I think you should've gone with that other dress. Even though I never saw you in it, when I picked it from the pile, I thought it would look pretty nice on you."

"Really?"

"Yeah, even if it would be short to the point of exposing yourself." For that, he received a heavy punch to the shoulder. He staggered a bit, wincing.

"Pervert."

They walked back to Bushwell, having been silent for a while. The snow was still falling. On the sidewalk, their footprints soon faded. They got to the front of the building, where he insisted on holding the door for her. Calling him a dork as she walked past, she developed a small smile once he could not see. They once again used the main elevator up, parting ways in front of his door. He handed her the garment bag, stating that he was going to spend time in his apartment, and that he would see them right before leaving for the party.

Once he closed the door, she entered the Shay's apartment. The door was unlocked. She left the dress on the couch, and called out Carly's name. Said brunette came down the stairs, stating that she had just come home. Seeing the garment bag lying on the couch, she went to inspect it. She told Sam that she thought the dress was cute, and that it would look great on her. Sam felt relieved.

They proceeded upstairs to Carly's room, where they would get ready for the party. Carly started telling her about the place where the party would be, and setting up the statues with her brother. Apparently, it had seemed to take forever. They had spent the entire time heaving around the cumbersome art, and she wondered out loud why her brother could not build things that were easy to carry. Sam stated that it was just the way he was, that there was nothing that could be done. Carly smiled, saying that she would not change it for anything.

They started preparing for that night's party. They took turns showering, and then applied their make up while letting their hair dry. They made some small talk, in contrast to their usual philosophical discussions. They spoke of what the party room would look like, as they were still setting it up when Carly was there with Spencer. They agreed that it would be glitzy, and probably stocked with food. They both could not wait, even Sam herself was excited. If there was a party, she would be there. This party would probably include some dancing, and she was looking forward to the idea that maybe, a certain someone, would ask her for a dance.

If he didn't, she'd break his legs. She thought about things past, and came to a decision to do something. Something that she had never planned on doing, ever. Carly told her that her makeup was done, as she put the last bit under Sam's eye. Immediately shooting up, she said that she needed to do something, and bolted out of the room in a flash of barely dry blond curls.

Carly called after her. "Sam! Where are you going? The party's starting soon and your hair's not finished!"

She responded as she leapt down the stairs, "I'll meet you at the party! Just leave without me!"

Carly followed to the top of the staircase on the lower level. "Where are you going?"

She pulled a small wallet of money out from under the couch. She kept it at Carly's so her mother would not get at it. Usually saved for emergencies, mainly ham related, it would come in useful. "I need to get something."

"Is it that important?"

Sam stopped before the door. Turning around, she saw her friend, the one she had known since they were children. She gave her a comforting smile. "It is, to me."

Slamming the front door to the Shay's behind her, she proceeded to rush down the stairwell, having been too excited to wait for the lift. She went down all eight flights, landing in the lobby to the yells of a wart-faced doorman. Ignoring him, she flew out through the building doors. She ran as fast as she could, being careful not to slip. Her feet seemed to barely touch the ground. It seemed awfully cold to her that evening, much colder than usual.

She reached the shop, and burst inside. The storeowner gave her a strange look. Puzzled, she looked down. Apparently she was still wearing the bathrobe that she kept at Carly's. The one with pigs playing electric guitars. She ran to the back, getting the silver dress off the hook, where she had left it. She quickly purchased it with her H.A.M., or Ham Acquirement Money, which Freddie would frequently tell her was improper, since it had an acronym spell out a word that was in the acronym. Something about 'cursive acorns', or something. She usually ignored him.

The purchase rang up without difficulty, and she went to change in the dressing rooms in the back. After putting on the dress, she realised she had no shoes to wear. The only things she had on were her 'piggy toed' socks that she had got from Socko to match her bathrobe. Each of the toes, or piggies, was dressed up as a member of the band. She let out a rather boisterous and disgruntled yell. The storeowner came to see what was wrong, and she told her. She gave her a pair of matching shoes that she used as a display with the dress.

The younger of the two called for a taxi cab, and they made small talk as they waited. The woman introduced herself as Winifred; her parents wanted her to be sophisticated. As the taxi pulled up outside, she had been talking about having a quiet night in with her husband, Samuel. The vehicle rushed off to the swanky hotel; all the while she cursed not having a coat as she wrapped herself in her bathrobe.

The hotel seemed gigantic as she looked out the window. The taxi cab pulled up to the front, and a well-dressed man opened the car door. She stepped out in what she thought was the most elegant way possible. It would have worked, if not for the bathrobe with musically inclined swine covering it. She rushed over to the entrance, where the doorman held open a great glass door with gold framing. Finally in from the cold, she peeled the cotton garb off of herself, looking for the front desk. Running up to it, she asked about the party, then got into a lift and proceeded upwards.

High above the streets, the doors opened, and she saw the room. It was gorgeous, and elegant. She felt as though she did not fit. Checking herself in as Spencer's guest, she handed off her robe to the coat check. She looked around in awe at the large glass windows overlooking the city, the crystal chandeliers overhead, and the biggest buffet she had ever seen. The music was playing, there was a large group dancing, and people were talking while they admired Spencer's art.

"Hey kiddo!" a voice called over her shoulder.

She turned around to see the taller of the Shays. "Hey, what's up?

"Oh, nothing, they just showed my sculptures, that's all." He gave her a sad face.

"I'm sorry, Spence. I didn't mean to be late. I got held up, that's all. I'm sorry." She very much felt bad about missing such an important moment for him. She was not really thinking correctly when she had run all the way to the shop for the dress.

"It was my first major showing to the art world, is all."

She gently gripped his upper arm. "I'll be there for the next ones, okay?"

He smiled at her. "You think I'll have more?"

She smiled back. "Of course, you will. You're the best artist I've ever seen."

"Thanks, Sam." He ruffled her hair a bit. She did not mind, the best she had done was comb it a bit with her fingers. Not much help, really. "Nice dress. Trying to impress anyone?"

"No!" She was surprised at how quickly it came out. "No, just thought I could grab some hot, rich guy, that's all."

"Uh huh, right."

"Where are Carly and the dork?"

He pointed over to the dance floor. There in the large crowd, were her two best friends. They were both dancing, together in fact. With one another. Slow dancing. Pushed up against the other. Seeing it made her feel defeated.

"Are things going to change?" Spencer asked, quietly.

She looked up to him, giving him a smile denoting hope. "No, things will be the same as ever. See you later, all right?" She left him there to mingle with the other artists and the big business types. Walking over to the bar, she picked a plate, and started piling the food on. She needed to steady her nerves, and food was always a comfort. She began to wonder if she would get plump from all the food that she ate. She began eat more. She heard footsteps of someone approaching. She turned to see Carly, as stunning as ever, with Freddie close behind. They were holding hands.

"Hey, Sam, you made it." Carly looked her up and down. "You look amazing! Is that why you're late?"

"Yeah." She tried to get the food out of her teeth.

"That dress looks really great on you, Sam." He looked at her with his brown eyes, and she felt self-conscious. "You look like a million bucks. Well, nine-hundred ninety-nine thousand, nine-hundred ninety-nine. You lose a dollar for the hair." That did not help her at all.

"Yeah, well," Carly grabbed her by the arm. "she rushed off before we could get to that part. If you'll excuse us, Mr. Benson, we're going to the ladies room."

"Of course, Ms. Shay." He gave them both a polite bow, with his signature boyish smile. "I shall await your return."

When they entered the restroom, Carly pulled a brush out of her purse, which they picked up on the way in. She started brushing the curly locks, while saying nothing. Sam knew what she wanted to ask about, but she did not want to bring it up.

"So," said her brown-haired partner, "you went to go get that really amazing dress, why?"

She tried finding an answer. "I just didn't want to look like a nub." Not her finest.

"The first dress looked fine. This dress looks even better on you, but…"

"But, what?"

"It's just, why? Why go through all the trouble? Why change your mind at the last minute? Who are you trying to impress?"

"No one." She was starting to get defensive. "I just wanted to be more than 'Sam in a dress'. Maybe, I just wanted to start off the year differently."

"Done." The brunette put her brush away. "Look, Sam. I'm not trying to interrogate you. I was just curious."

"I know." Actually, she felt that her best friend was acting a little too curious. Then again, she would have done the same.

They went back out into the party, where Freddie had been waiting. He whispered something into Carly's ear, to which she giggled. Carly told her that they were going to go dance some more, and to join them. She declined, feeling that they would rather have been alone. She did eventually join them, and it was not bad at all. She felt a little better being with her two best friends. She refused to slow dance with him, though, not wanting to be too obvious in front of Carly. She would sit out, and watch the two together. He was wearing a nice tuxedo, with decent footwear this time. She, a beautiful little black dress that fit her perfectly, strapless to show off her elegant shoulders.

She walked a bit, looking at the people enjoying themselves. She eventually made her way around to a dark-lit area. Continuing her adventure, she found an unlocked door. Entering the room, she found that it was just some small utility closet. Huffing in boredom, she turned to leave when the door slid shut on her, drowning her in darkness. She tried the knob, but nothing happened. She aggressively began to push and pull at the door, yet again, nothing happened.

She patted herself down, only to realise she did not have her phone with her, nor did she have any pockets. Resigning to temporary defeat, she leant on a wall. Half an hour passed, and she had planned an intricate and convoluted escape plan involving chewing gum, a goose, and a sleigh full of tomatoes. None of which she had with her. The door opened suddenly, revealing a teenage figure.

"Sam?" it called out.

"Dorkface?"

"There you are." He approached her.

"Dork, wait!" The door shut behind him, locking them both inside. She grabbed what she though were his lapels. "Look what you did!"

"What?" He sounded confused.

"The door locks from outside!"

She felt him pull away, and heard the door knob get twisted. "Aw, mustard."

"What are you doing here, anyway?"

"Carly sent me to find you when you disappeared. I searched everywhere. This was the last place."

She realised it would be the perfect time. They could not see one another. She could do what she had decided to do right at that moment. She took an uneasy breath, straightened herself, and went up to him. She pushed him against the door, and heard him grunt. Pressing up against him, she felt him shiver.

"Sam, are those your…"

"I thought that you liked them. I mean, you said that they were perfect."

"What are you doing?"

"Let's see, small, dark, closet. Squished together. What do you think?"

She heard him burst out in a laugh. "Sam, are you trying to seduce me?" She took hold of his collar, shaking him. "Sorry! Sorry! I'm not laughing!" He quieted down fairly quickly.

Letting go, she stared down at her feet, which she could not see. "Look, I just wanted to be… sexy, like Carly is. That's all."

"Well, Carly _is_ sexy… very, very, sexy. Not just sexy, but…" She kicked him in the shin. How she had done it in the dark, neither of them knew. He was forced to stifle his yelp.

"Look, there's something that I need to talk to you about," she started.

"Oh, you can't be serious."

"Look, Fredweird," She grabbed his coat. "just listen okay? I… I know that I hit you, and pull pranks on you, and all those things. I know that we talked about this before, too. The things I do to you, I might… maybe. Look. Things have been changing a lot this last year. And I know that you noticed it too. Things between us. You. You started saying things that I never thought you would ever say to me. Things that sounded less like insults, and more like… those things I never give you. Compliments. I guess that, maybe, I started to think that you liked me. Maybe there was a possibility that you might actually want to be with me. You were always seeing all those other girls, though. So, I didn't know. All those years that, you were going after other girls, you never seemed to notice me. All that time I'd spend, harassing you, beating you, humiliating you. I did it because, truth be told, I wanted the attention. I wanted you to look at me, instead of… other girls. Freddie, I want to be with you, okay? I don't just like you. I love you."

"What is it with girls and confessing stuff on the holidays?"

"Hey, I even bought this dress because you liked it. I spent all my H.A.M. money on it."

"You mean your Ham Acquiring Money? Then, I'm flattered." His voice was sincere.

"Good."

"Since H.A.M. has the word money in it already, you shouldn't say money after it, it's redundant.

She punched him. "Why do I bother?"

He rubbed the newly acquired sore spot on his chest, and then had a realisation.

"Wait. That means I bought you a dress that you never wore." She growled. He began again. "Sam. At first, I thought that you hated me. You would always bully me, and I didn't know why you did it. The scary thing is, that I started getting used to it, expecting it, missing it. I started getting in on the act, and doing things to you. Maybe, it was just our little way of communicating, a secret language all our own."

She smiled at that thought.

"I never thought that I could fall I love with someone like you. You are aggressive, crass, loud, and crude." She felt a hit with each one of those words.

"But, for some reason, that's what I love about you," he said, slowly. Her eyes lit up again.

"I never thought that you might like me, though. I just thought that you were bullying me just like you would anyone else. I had no idea that you liked me. I was afraid that if I brought it up with you that you'd kill me. I was going to take my time before telling you. Although, it seems as if you made the decision for me." She heard him take a deep breath. "Sam, I love you."

"That means we're a couple, right?" She was happier than she had ever been.

"It's not that easy."

Her eyes dimmed. "What?"

"Look, I love you, but…" She knew where things were going. "I love someone else, as well."

She laid her head against his chest. "What's her name?" She already had an idea of who it was.

"That isn't the issue, now."

"Is she prettier than me?"

He let out an annoyed sigh. "Why do girls always ask that?"

"Fine. Does she love you?"

"That's not something for you to worry about." He wrapped his arms around her. "Now that you've told me that you love me, I'm going to have to make a choice. I would have had to anyway, sooner or later."

"Who do you love more?"

"I love both of you. In different ways." She could tell by his voice that he was telling the truth.

"Maybe, I can convince you," she said, boldly. "Kiss me."

"Why do girls think a kiss solves everything?"

"You can tell how you really feel about a person. If you kiss me, and you kiss her, then you can tell who you feel more for. Simple science."

"That's not science."

"Whatever. It's New Years Eve; you've got to kiss someone. It might as well be a real kiss."

"Did you plan all this?"

"Plan getting stuck in a closet with a dorkwad, no. It was right before the party that I decided to tell you, thus, the dress. I just thought that maybe you would consider giving me a chance."

"Sam, however this thing ends…"

"I know." She reached up for him, their breaths mingling. With a gentleness she just learned she had, she pulled him down to her. Lips touched. In the darkness of the small space, they were together. The clock struck down to twelve, signalling the end of things old, and the beginning of things new. Neither were ready.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you for reading my story. I decided to leave it ambiguous at the end so that the reader could draw their own conclusions. Reviews and constructive criticism are always welcome. Thank you, for reading my work. I hope that you decide to read more of it in the future. Thank you.**


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